Important issue for us all: Mental ill health

A common statistic quoted is that 1 in 3 or 4 of us in Britain will experience some form of mental ill health in our lifetimes. A worrying figure and this level of incidence in almost any other illness would be always at the top of the health agenda. But mental ill health has traditionally been a hidden illness, in part because it can’t be seen. But there are also major issues of stigma associated with being ‘mental’.

People with experience of mental and emotional distress are as varied as people with any other condition, and the appropriate treatment, or road to recovery, is also...

First People’s Choice champion at Thank You awards

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Sun, 02/21/2016 - 12:37pm

At the fourth annual Recycle Devon Thank You Awards on Friday 12 February Jennie Dunn and her team at Marpool Primary School won the vote and were recognised for their ‘tireless’ recycling efforts.

Jennie and her team were presented with a certificate and a champagne board made from a flattened champagne bottle.

The ‘People’s Choice’ champion marks a welcome addition to the popular annual awards this year.

As in the previous three years, residents nominated their ‘recycling super-hero’ in one of seven categories which includes schools and businesses. Recycle Devon...

Chiefs side to face London Irish

Authored by Mark Stevens
Posted: Sun, 02/21/2016 - 12:04pm

Rob Hunter has warned Exeter Chiefs to be wary of a potential backlash from London Irish when the two meet in the Aviva Premiership on Sunday (3pm).

Forwards coach Hunter is well aware the lowly Exiles will be hurting following last weekend’s 35-7 defeat at Northampton Saints and he believes they will be searching for an immediate response of sorts at the Madejski Stadium.

Bottom of the pile and with just three league victories to their name this term, Irish know they must make the most of home advantage and look to replicate their achievements of last season when a last-...

Exeter City draw at home

City and the Exiles share the spoils at SJP

IN A REPEAT of the reverse tie at Rodney Parade in October, Exeter City were pegged back by Newport County AFC as both sides had to settle for a point.

Paul Tisdale made four changes to the City side following midweek’s trip to York City, with Jamie McAllister, Arron Davies, Alex Nicholls and David Wheeler all coming in.

The home side's first chance fell to Jayden Stockley, whose shot was deflected just wide of Newport keeper Joe Day’s goal. City continued to push for an opener as Alex Nicholls' right-footed free-kick was...

South West sees surge in high growth firms

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Sat, 02/20/2016 - 3:49pm

The South West has seen some of the biggest increases in the number of high growth firms in the whole of the UK since the recession, new research shows. Analysis by the Enterprise Research Centre (ERC), the UK’s leading independent institute for research into small and medium size businesses, shows that the number of ‘high-growth firms’ (HGFs) across the UK has risen to 11,855 – the largest number since the dotcom boom of the early 2000s. According to the OECD’s definition, a HGF is a firm that has at least 10 employees and records an annual average growth of 20% in employment over three...

SW pioneers as Independent Opticians set up local forum

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Sat, 02/20/2016 - 3:43pm

The Association for Independent Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (AIO) held the first of a series of local meetings for Independent optical professionals in Bath.

Both members and non-members of AIO gathered together at Restaurant Martini to establish a local forum for Independent practitioners to discuss the issues that are foremost in their minds. The group found that there was strong agreement about a number of key issues and general support for the soon to be launched Independents Code of Conduct (the IC).

In particular, the Group expressed dismay that use of the...

Carrots for winners at Exeter Racecourse

The Devon National Handicap Chase will take centre stage on Haldon Hill on Friday, February 26 and Exeter Racecourse is rewarding each horse that runs with a net of carrots and a box of polos.

The race is Devon’s very own Grand National and draws entries from many seasoned horses who may not be top class, but who have built up their own legion of fans during the years they have been racing.

“It’s a race I really love with well known horses often in the line up,” explained General Manager Daniel Thompson. “It’s always very competitive, and you can sometimes get an outsider...

Coast path prepared for a Grizzly race!

East Devon District Council’s Countryside team is preparing for infamous endurance race, The Grizzly, by checking out areas of the South West Coast Path which the route will cover.

Around 2,000 runners are expected to take part in the 20-mile event which takes place this year on Sunday March 13.

The Grizzly crosses challenging terrain including muddy bogs, steep hills and pebbled beaches and attracts runners from across the world.

EDDC’s Countryside team is checking a number of sites along the path, including the testing steps which take runners away from Branscombe...

Former Devon estate agent pleads guilty to fraud

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Sat, 02/20/2016 - 8:13am

Russell Baker, 57, of Ilsington, near Newton Abbot, today pleaded guilty at Exeter Crown Court to nine offences of fraud in relation to his former estate agency business, in a case investigated by the Devon and Somerset Trading Standards Service.

Investigators found that Baker had bought a well-known Estate Agents business called Ashby’s.

A significant part of his business was the letting out of properties on behalf of landlords, and the investigation originally related to tenants deposits, and whether they had been paid into a government approved scheme.

However a...

Funding boost for Devon services

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Sat, 02/20/2016 - 7:37am

More than £8 million extra will be spent on services in Devon next year.

County councillors have won an extra £8.4 million in rural support and other grants from Local Government Secretary Greg Clarke.

It made Devon County Council the fourth highest beneficiary in the country after robust lobbying from council leader John Hart and the county’s MPs.

At the authority’s annual budget meeting it was confirmed how the extra money will be allocated.

An extra £5 million will go into strengthening resilience in social care for elderly and vulnerable people as Devon’...

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